Ken Dawson-Scully, Ph.D.

Biography: Dawson-Scully was born and educated in Canada where he received his Ph.D. from the
University of Toronto in 2003 and his M.Sc. from Queen’s University in 1998. He came
to FAU in 2008 and is currently a tenured associate professor in the Department of
Biological Sciences, a visiting investigator at The Scripps Research Institute in Florida,
and a faculty member of the newly formed International Max Planck Research School.

He has served as the associate director for the Integrative Biology Ph.D. program for
almost three years and currently sits on over a dozen academic committees dedicated
to student success including the University Honors Council, the College Graduate
Program Committee, and the Curriculum and Selection Committees for the new Max
Planck Research School Ph.D. Program.

“I am delighted to be able to tap Ken’s passion for training junior scientists and his deep
knowledge of academic programs across the FAU campuses,“ said Randy D. Blakely,
Ph.D., Brain Institute Executive Director. “With the institute main office located on the
Jupiter campus, the location of Ken’s research program in Boca Raton will strengthen
our ability to reach across campuses as we work to enhance neuroscience educational
activities.”

Dawson-Scully's laboratory investigates ways to protect the brain from
neurodegeneration as a result of acute and/or chronic cellular stress using the genetic
model organism, the fruit fly D. melanogaster. His research has identified a number of
molecular targets that can rescue high temperature, low oxygen and oxidative stress in
the fruit fly nervous system, as a model for human diseases such as stroke and
epilepsy. He gave an interview about his research on the program “People Behind The
Science,” which you can listen to here.